SICK EUROPE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1922, Page 5

SICK EUROPE.

CAN GERMANY PAY! RESTORATION FIRST. ALLIES SHOULD HELP. ' By Telegraph.—Preu A**n.—Copyright. Received Jan. 8, 5J5 p.m. London, Jan. 7. Mr. Lloyd George, speaking at Cannes, said: “It is always a very invidious task for any statesman of an Allied country which suffered much at Germany’s hands to put in a word for moderation and restraint when it is proposed to impose penalties on Germany for non-fulfilment of her obligations. People say: You are sacrificing Britain to Germany, France to Germany, and Belgium to Germany.’ ’ “Nevertheless, we ought to have the courage to look facta in the face. Germany must pay to the utmost of her capacity; justice demands it, but you must consider what every lawyer considers when recovering damages, to what extent the judgment and execution can be made effective. You may drive things so fee that you get nothing out of your verdict. When Britain, through her representatives, puts in a plea for not rushing Germany into anarchy and bankruptcy, we are not doing that in the interests of Germany, but in the interests of the world. DANGER OF BOLSHEVISM.

“You should not force Germany into the same conditions as those into which Russia was forced, but with this difference, that you will have anarchy among a much more efficient people; you will have extreme doctrines under the leadership of a very powerful race. That is why Britain, in spite of misrepresentation at home and abroad, has advocated, not compassion, not consideration for Germany, but ordinary common prudence. It is clear that reparations will not be recoverable until there is aa improvement in the general conditions of Europe. The mere fact that Germany has got great internal wealth in lands, forests, railways and factories is not conclusive evidence of her capacity to pay large sums outside her frontiers. Her capacity to pay permanent charges outside must depend upon the extent of her foreign trade. So the general condition of Europe has a direct bearing on reparations.

“Germany’s pre-war trade was largely with countries on her eastern arid southern frontiers, but these countries have collapsed industrially and commercially. They contributed to the general wealth of the world, which circulates through the veins of commerce, and the fact that they have ceased to make that contribution weakens and attenuates the industrial blood of the commercial countries of the world. It it vital for the general well-being of ths world that an effort should be made to restore these countries, and unless the Allied countries undertake the task I don’t know who will. When you begin io talk about the restoration of Russia, Hungary and other countries you (Ltounter a very natural prejudice—a prejudice existing in every civilised breast against the Bolshevik. QUESTION OF CLEAN HANDS. “There is a much greater danger from the Bolsheviks if we fail in the task of reconstruction than from the propaganda which tbe Bolsheviks undertake. You have got to deal with Governments whom methods you do not approve of. If we insist, before shaking hands with the Governments of tbe north, south, east and west upon seeing that their hands are clean, I don’t know bow much business will bo done in the world. I have heard of agreements made in Paris with murderer* of Armenians; I remember representatives of Turkey admitting that millions of Armenian Christians had been slaughtered, ravaged, outraged and tortured, yet I’ve known of Governments that had not herniated to make agreements with the people who took a leading part in the direction of those outrages and murders. “I’ve seen representatives of Governments of this kind at Paris and London. We have all met them and discussed things with them, because we had to make pram in the world. You can s(ty every Government that’s guilty of anything that in an outrage upon civilisation we will strike off the list. There is something to be said for that sort of exalted attitude, but them is nothing to be said for greeting one sin on your right and refusing to greet aa assassin on your left when he offers hie hand, there is no advantage if you shake hands with infamy in the east and refuse to do it with infamy in the north.— Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.